What every Christian needs to know - about Temptation and Putting sin to death !!!

That's what an abridged version was titled! As I just finished to read the book, I thought to myself - what a perfect summary and let me stick to it.
First of all what a HUGE blessing this little book has been - words can't express. As I started to read it, I was not impressed - no wonder why - perhaps I was too convicted over my sinful nature - also I found it repetitive. It came to a point when I had to put it aside, but as book review time was coming up I thought to myself: I must finish it !
As the author's thoughts had time to settle in my head, I found it easier to pick it up and just finished it in one breath. And finally it all came together.
Suddenly I could relate so well and it seems to me that this book was written just for me - Holy Spirit was illuminating and highlighting things in a wonderful way!!!
There are some sentences that just jumped at me! For example, "Sin is like a thick cloud that spreads itself over the face to the soul and cuts off all the beams of God's love and favour". p.91 -how precises is this?!!!
Another one: "If we do not maintain a constant spirit of prayerfulness, we can expect to be disturbed by a constant stream of temptations".
"If you despise temptation, it will conquer you". p.45
"Sinful desire never dies of ITSELF, so if it is not daily subdued it will simply gather STRENGTH". p.112
"Mortification is the work of faith, the special work of faith". p.104 I would like to make a comment on this statement. A while back I have been praying and fasting for the Lord to take away any desire from my heart to watch films. It came to the point that I watched too much and it was taking all of my little energy that was left after a busy day with the children. So I committed that to the Lord. After my prayer and fast was over I had no desire to watch anything whatsoever for a long time. It was a work of faith in me by the grace of the Lord!!! Many months later I thought: well, a little innocent movie in a Jane Austine air will not hurt. Then I watched a new version of "Pride and Prejudice". Before, I tremendously enjoyed the whole romance, the country side, the dresses, the language, - now the only thing that had been magnified for me - how ridiculously stupid the preacher portrait and his sermons are the greatest bore in this film. I'm sure such drastic change in my view has been produced by the Lord. A little later I thought: James Bond movie sounds good. I watched one and again, as before I really enjoyed the action, this time I could only see how the producer basically says if you are a super hero or would like to be one - you deserve to have a new girl every time ! I could not enjoy the film anymore... Lastly, as everyone in my household enjoys "24" for hours on end, I thought: perhaps it would be good to join and watch it again for the second time, but then I thought about the main actor and how he got arrested for drink driving and spent Christmas in jail, somehow I lost my interest...
A while back I read a letter produced by a Christian from one of the churches in London where he said that generally all movies are insincere, often introducing viewers to adultery, lies, violence and ect. The actors in reality are nothing to do with the heroes they play and we get nothing encouraging spiritually from them why watch them?!!! It was a long letter and I can't rewrite it here, but the point is at the time it made no impact on me, but now after reading this book pieces are finally coming together.
This is a last quote that I would like to finish this off: "Whatever we may think the work of mortification that God requires is a total commitment to the mortification of all sin. If a believer sincerely aims to do what God requires, he can depend on the help of his Spirit. If the believer is only concerned about doing his own work... God will leave him to struggle in his own strength. The command is "let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates the body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" 2 Cor. 7:1. If we do anything, we must aim at doing everything! p.109
Thank you for your time and may the Lord enable us to do what He says to us striving daily for the mortification of our sin - not only READ the Bible !!!
with my prayers in Christ Jesus,
Angela.